Star and Cloud
by een nihc
Summary: REWRITE AND REPOST. People call him genius. The genius himself however begs to differ, expecially when it comes to a certain Sand kunoichi. ShikaTema COMPLETE
1. In Which Temari Stargaze

**Chapter 1: In Which Temari Star-gaze**

"Don't peek."

He frowned slightly. "Just where are you taking me?"

He could guess that they were somewhere away from the Suna village – the desert to be more specific. He could felt his feet sink deeper into the sand with every step he took as she dragged him over a small sand slope. As a result, the sand kept seeping into his open-toe sandal, and it made him feel a little uncomfortable.

He wasn't used to the desert yet to say the very least. It was his first time coming to Sunagakure for a mission - to further strengthen Sand-Leaf ties. He preferred the lush green forest over the desert any time. The forest was his home, his playground. It provided him the shade and shadows essential for his shadow skills.

"Are you scared, pineapple-head?"

He knew she was only teasing him. Scared wasn't the right word to describe his feelings. Insecure was more like it. Unlike the forest, the desert was bare and alien to him. He felt somewhat insecure being exposed in the open like that, not knowing exactly where he was headed. No, he wasn't scared or worried. He wouldn't have let her drag him on like that if he didn't trust her. And he trusts her with his life, which is more than enough.

"How troublesome…" he muttered under his breath. She heard him but merely smiled. For someone who was a genius tactician, he could be quite predictable sometimes.

After a while, she finally halted. "We're here. Now lie down."

He paused and hesitated for a moment; he wasn't sure if lying on the rough sand would be as pleasant as lying on the soft grass.

"Oi, don't just stand there. Just do as I said," she demanded.

He sighed exasperatedly. He knew better than to argue with her. He folded his arm behind his neck and lay down besides her slowly. The grains of sand were warm against his skin while the air around him was chilly. He decided then that lying in the sand wasn't half bad after all.

"Can I open my eyes now?"

"Of course."

Before he cracked his eyes open, he wondered briefly why she was so determined to bring him there in the first place. When he opened his eyes, his eyes immediately took in the sight of countless stars sprawling across the dark sky.

"Like it? Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Hmph…" he agreed that it was quite a sight but it wasn't all that special. He could watch the stars back in Konohagakure except the sky here was clearer, not obscured by the clouds.

"I'll take that as a yes. We're even now."

He raised an eyebrow and looked over at her.

As if sensing his confusion, she continued to explain, "Well, I don't like to owe people anything. You showed me the best spot to cloud-watch there; now it's my turn to show you the best spot to star-watch here. So we're even now." Then she smiled.

He could see that her smile was content and genuine and that was indeed a rare treat from her. Her smirks or grins were rather cocky most of the time and she usually hid a thing or two behind them. They were rarely as simple and genuine as that.

He found himself unable to avert his gaze away from her face while she was smiling like that. He couldn't help but think that she looked so surreal and beautiful under the stars. She was… breath-taking. He gulped and quickly turned his eyes from her face to the stars above instead when he began to feel the heat on his face.

"Whatever…" he grunted half-heartedly.

That night he barely remembered himself dreaming of stars and a blonde girl under the stars. But unknown to him, a small smile had crept to his lips in his dream.

* * *

Temari smiled to herself. It had been a long, long time since she had done this – just lain down and star-gaze.

Time spent on doing nothing was time wasted. Her life style as the strongest kunoichi in her village allowed her no room for this kind of luxury. She needed herself to be stronger; her siblings, her village needed her to be stronger. For the sake of being stronger, she had abandoned her childhood and everything it entitled. She had forgotten to appreciate how beautiful the stars were.

She stole a glance at the figure that was lying beside her. It was funny how he defied all her logic. How could she possibly lose to a lazy bum who preferred doing nothing except cloud-watching? How could he possibly be the same boy who was strong enough to defeat her yet so weak that she had even seen him cried before her once?

She remembered that afternoon. He was lying on a grassy hill when she found him after he had run off from the hospital.

"_Found ya, Crybaby." _

_She sat down by his side. _

_He cringed._

"_What do you want from me?" his voice was a little hoarse from the cry but it was obvious that he hadn't wanted her company at that moment._

_Right, why did she even care? She thought angrily._

_She stood up right away and dusted the blades of grass off her skirt, preparing to leave. _

"_Your father was right. You are a coward."_

_Just before she was about to walk away, she heard him mutter, "I know." _

_Somehow his words had added fuel to her fury. It burnt as if it was a personal insult to her. She turned around abruptly and clenched her fist until her knuckles turned white._

"_Stand up and fight, Nara. Prove it to me that you're the one whom I lost to in the exam," she growled in a low voice. _

_He shut his eyes and turned his head away from her. But she wouldn't have him ignore her like that._

"_Damn you! Didn't you say that you won't fail your comrades again next time? How are you supposed to do that if you won't even stand up and fight me like a man? I don't even need my fan to kick your ass right now."_

_His eyes snapped open at her remark at once. She had meant it that way – her words were meant to bite, to sink their fangs deep into his flesh until it provoked some kind of reaction from him. She smirked inwardly when she saw his onyx eyes harden as he stood up slowly and faced her. _

_Then they fought. Their fight was rather raw and neither used their trademark jutsu. They merely used Taijutsu – punching and kicking rather gracelessly at each other. At last both were panting heavily and exhausted. They finally agreed to call a truce as they both slumped to the ground._

_They didn't speak or move for a long while. Both seemed to be absorbed in their own musings until she broke the silence._

"_Oi, are you dead? Say something."_

"_Like what?" his voice was bored and lazy much like his old self._

"_What do you see in the clouds? What makes them so fascinating to you? To me, clouds are just clouds."_

"_Being a human is too troublesome; being a cloud is much easier. Clouds don't need to worry about anything like humans. They're just floating in the sky and letting the wind decide where they go."_

_She broke into a huge grin._

"_That sounds very much like something a lazy bum like you would say."_

_They spent the rest of the afternoon watching clouds and bickering occasionally. She was the one who did most of the talking, but he didn't seem to mind. They almost seemed to forget about the unpleasant incident earlier that day._

"_Thank you," he said to her before she left. _

"_No problem, Crybaby." _

_She couldn't refrain from teasing him every chance she got._

That was the day she had decided that if he ever come to Sunagakure, she would show him the best spot to star-gaze.

"Oi, look! There's a shooting star."

When she heard no response from him, she shifted her head and saw that he was already asleep. She inched closer to him and watched him sleep. What caught her eyes were his lips curling upwards ever so slightly in his sleep. She wondered curiously what he was dreaming of.

"Sweet dreams, lazy bum."

She curled next to him and closed her eyes.

* * *

TBC


	2. In which Shikamaru Catch A Cold

**Chapter 2: In which Shikamaru Catch A Cold**

It wasn't until the sun began to tease her eyelids that Temari awoke. The warmth of the sunlight on her skin was so welcoming that she thought momentarily of continuing her sleep for a while longer. Then something began to register in her still hazy mind.

_Wait… the sun has risen! Which means it's already morning! Holy crap! _

She snapped her eyes open and propped herself up. A green flak jacket slid down from her chest at her sudden motion. She looked down at the jacket on her laps dumbfounded for a moment. It was an unmistakable Leaf Shinobi jacket which brought her to another logical conclusion: it had to be Shikamaru's jacket.

"So, you're awake," a familiar voice suddenly said behind her.

She groaned inwardly. It was none other than her brother, Kankurou.

"How long have you been here?"

"Long enough to watch you sleep like a baby."

That was definitely a tease. Temari knew one when she heard one. She got up and threw her brother a glare but Kankurou merely chuckled and walked away.

Temari rubbed her forehead absently. She was loosing her dignity as the eldest siblings, she just knew it. But no matter what they did, she could never stay angry with her siblings. And damn Kankurou for being smart enough to exploit her soft spot to get away with it every time.

More questions came to her mind. She observed that the lazy chuunin wasn't anywhere in sight since she woke up.

_Did he just abandon me in the dessert like that? No, it's more likely that he had summoned Kankurou before leaving._

"How did you find me, Kankurou? Did he inform you?"

"Who?" Kankurou decided to play dumb and teased his sister further.

"Kankurou…" she growled in low voice.

Kankurou immediately picked up the warning that her patience was wearing thin. An annoyed Temari was definitely not a Temari he liked to deal with. He knew how far he could push his luck.

"As a matter of fact, he did," Kankurou confirmed her suspicion.

_Damn coward! _ She muttered a mute curse. The more Temari thought about it, the angrier she got.

_And what is with this? Leaving his flak jacket behind. So that he can play Gentleman? And he actually expected me to go through the hassle returning this to him? _

_He is so going to get it! That pig-head!_

* * *

Meanwhile Shikamaru kept sneezing while he waited outside the Kazekage office. It had earned him a disgusted look from the Kazekage's personal assistant. Since no one was around except him and the other Sand ninja at the moment, he had no choice but to ask him reluctantly for direction to the washroom.

"Uh… sorry. Ex-excuse me,–sneeze- can you kindly –sneeze- tell me where the –sneeze- washroom is?"

The Kazekage's personal assistant looked up from his desk with a bored look and pointed him the direction.

"Thanks – sneeze-" With that, Shikamaru darted to the washroom.

_Geeze, that was embarrassing as hell! _

Shikamaru splashed some water to his face to clean the mess on his face. Then he stared at his reflection in the mirror. His nose tip was red from the sneezing.

_I look like shit. -sneeze_

He suddenly had a strange feeling that he was missing something. Then realization finally struck him like lighting bolt when he appraised his reflection in the mirror closer. His flak jacket!

Shikamaru felt like banging his head at the brick wall again and again. Just then, the Kazekage's personal assistant showed up untimely in the washroom and urged him to see the Kazekage immediately.

_This is it. Konohagakure's reputation will be ruined in my hands! Tsunade-sama shouldn't have sent me for this mission. I shouldn't have followed that woman to the desert last night._

He thought in despair and braced himself for the doom ahead.

* * *

Shikamaru knocked on the door politely before he entered the Kazekage's office. Gaara looked up from his desk and stared at the Leaf Chuunin with his cold green eyes intently, which immediately sent chill down the Chuunin's spine. Shikamaru hadn't quite forgotten his near-death encounter with Gaara years ago during the Chuunin Exams. But that was then. Many things had changed since then. People change. Shikamaru reminded himself.

"Kazekage-sama, I was sent by Ho-" he paused mid-sentence, fighting the urge from sneezing promptly in front of the Kazekage before he continued, "Hokage-sama to deliver the treaty scroll."

The scroll! It's in the pocket of his flak jacket!

Shikamaru face paled visibly. _Think fast! Think of something to say!_

Gaara raised an eyebrow when he noticed the Chuunin did nothing to present the scroll to him but stood right there as if being struck by lighting bolt. The temperature in the room suddenly seemed to drop to freezing point when neither spoke for the longest time.

"Where is the scroll, Leaf Shinobi?" Gaara finally broke the silence.

Shikamaru gulped before he could muster all his courage to speak, "Gomenasai."

This was going to be a long explanation and he was sure as hell that the Kazekage wouldn't like it.

Just then, the door of the Kazekage's office flung open. Shikamaru let out the breath he was holding when he saw Temari marched into the room like she owned it. She saved his day again!

"Sorry for interrupting, Gaa- Kazekage-sama. But I'm here to return stuff to an idiot."

Temari glared at Shikamaru, clearly indicating who the idiot that she was referring to was. Then she tossed the flak jacket to him and glared at him once more before she walked out from the room. Shikamaru sighed. He was going to get it from her after this.

Gaara watched the interaction between the two expressionlessly but said nothing. Shikamaru quickly searched for the scroll and thank God it was still there. He handed the scroll over and bowed apologetically.

"I can explain this, Kazekage-sama…"

Surprisingly, Gaara didn't press for the subject and said instead, "I'm not interested to know. Leave now."

"Hai."

With that, Shikamaru bowed again and retreated from the room.

_I'm screwed! That's it! I'm utterly screwed!_

It really wasn't his day but it hadn't ended yet - Temari was waiting outside the administrative building like a tigress ready to corner and spring at her victim.

"You idiot! What were you thinking…" she poked her fingers on his chest as she burst out her rage. His mind automatically tuned out the rest of her rant. Because really, all Shikamaru could think of at that moment was to get to his bed and sleep away his cold. But it was not to be. He was ordered to go back to Konoha village at once after he had delivered the scroll.

Yes, it really wasn't his day.

* * *

"So – going back already?"

"Yeah."

Blame it on the unbearable heat, his running nose or the combination of both, Shikamaru just wasn't in the mood to be talkative.

_But you're not feeling well. _Temari mentally kicked herself before she could say anything stupid. The last thing she wanted was to be a mother hen to him. Voicing concern about a drippy nose? No thanks.

Just when she was about to say something else, a Sand ninja appeared in a puff of smoke. Temari frowned in annoyance. Before the ninja could speak a word, she immediately knew she was being summoned again by the Kazekage again.

"Guess I'll have to go," she said apologetically. "Till next time, lazy bum." She added before she left with the ninja in a puff of smoke. It was then that he realized he hadn't said goodbye. Not that it mattered anyway.

Shikamaru trudged towards the inn where he was staying. He wouldn't have admitted it openly, but if it was up to him, he wouldn't have set off so soon. He wasn't feeling well for one thing. The star-gazing spot in Suna village wasn't half bad either and its host... He quickly broke his train of thought before it started to stray to a certain Sand kunoichi.

Well, it wasn't as if he had the choice, his logical mind reminded him. He let out an exasperated sigh. Another mission scroll would be awaiting him once he hauled his ass back to Konoha village. They were short-staffed after all. The fifth Hokage had made that clear – crystal clear – before he left for this mission.

"Just a second, Leaf shinobi!"

A Sand ninja called out to him just when he was about to step out from the village's gate. Surprised, Shikamaru halted and turned around. He was even more surprised when the Sand ninja handed him a small parcel.

"Temari-sama wanted me to give you this."

Shikamaru stood rooted to the spot, dumbfounded, not knowing what to say. He certainly hadn't expected anything from Temari. After awhile the sand ninja started shifting his feet impatiently. Just for the sake of courtesy and the good will between the two allied hidden villages, the ninja gestured to leave in the most polite manner possible, "If there's nothing else, sir, please excuse me."

"Wait – please thank Temari on my behalf for this." With that, the Sand ninja nodded curtly and left. Shikamaru didn't look back when the tall gate was shut behind him. He smiled faintly when he examined the parcel. The parcel was hastily and horribly wrapped even to his standard.

Curious of the contents of the parcel, he began to unwrap it. There was a small vial containing a clear liquid and a crumpled note inside. The lazy genius recognized who scribbled the note inside immediately. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed as he read it. Only one woman he knew would write everything in bold letters and called him pineapple head, a nickname that made him cringed.

"DRINK THE SOLUTION. IT HELPS CURE RUNNING NOSE. REMEMBER YOU OWE ME ONE, PINEAPPLE HEAD."

Why was he fated to encounter so many bossy female in his life? As if his mother wasn't bad enough, he got a bossy female teammate. Now there was another addition to the list. It was getting troublesome.

Yet despite everything, he felt somewhat touched that the Sand kunoichi cared enough to deliver this to him. He opened the vial and took a tentative sip. It tasted bitter with a hint of spice. He shrugged and decided to take another sip. If this was poison, his body would probably swallowed by the dessert, never to be found again. But he doubted she would allow him such easy escape if she really wanted him dead. A slow, torturous death seemed more like her style.

After a while, he could felt that his nose cleared a little and he was able to breathe easier.

Scratch that. He would thank the woman properly next time.

* * *

TBC


	3. In Which Temari Seduce

**Chapter 3 : In Which Temari Seduce**

The next time Shikamaru saw Temari, he almost couldn't recognize her.

He was heading back to Konoha village after he finished a solo mission in Earth Country. He was tired and his body was sore all over. He didn't feel like sleeping in the wild again. So he chose to stay overnight at a town near the border of Earth Country. He found a small tavern nearby his inn. Since the night was still early, he decided to grab a beer or two before he headed to the inn. He scanned the environment briefly before settling down to a quiet corner.

There weren't many customers in the tavern yet. The bartender looked almost as bored as Shikamaru was. Shikamaru was about to leave when a blond girl in a very tight and skimpy red dress walked in which immediately grabbed the attention of every male in the tavern. She ignored the wolf whistles deftly and walked straight to the bar. Shikamaru spared her a brief glance, looked away and then blinked and did a double take. His jaw almost hit the floor.

Her hair was neon pink and the thick make-up on her face almost made her unrecognizable under the dim light. But her chakra signature was unmistabkable; he knew she was Temari of the Sand alright.

_What is she doing here looking like that?_

It was odd that she didn't seem to notice him. Or she did but chose to ignore him deliberately.

_Perhaps she is on a mission?_

Shikamaru frowned in bewilderment and sat back down. He knew that kunoichi would be taking espionage missions that require their 'special' skills at some point. But Temari didn't strike him to be that kind of kunoichi who preferred seduction and stealth over brute force. He didn't like the notion of it at all.

Temari took out a mirror and started reapplying her lipstick. Shikamaru couldn't fathom why since her lips were painted perfectly until she 'accidentally' dropped the lipstick and promptly bend over to pick it up. He almost choked. If he was a lesser man, he would be having a massive nose bleed like the rest of men in the tavern. When she looked up, her lips curved up as she locked her eyes with a man with a large scar on his face.

_Seriously, of all the male she could've picked, she has to pick him?_

_Unless he is her target after all._

The urge to simply leave nagged the Leaf chunnin's mind. It was really none of his business. Temari was more than capable to protect herself. Yet somehow he had stayed and ordered another beer despite his better judgment.

It didn't take long before the scar faced man sat down besides the kunoichi and offered to buy her a drink. They drank a few more rounds. She giggled and slapped the man's hand away when the man tried to grab her ass. The furrow between Shikamaru's brows deepened.

She murmured something to the man's ear and stood up. When she excused herself to the bathroom, the man slipped something into her drink. Shikamaru's expression darkened considerably. That man has totally crossed the line; it was something Shikamaru would not tolerate as much as he hated to interfere. He had to do something and he had to do it quick before she got back.

_How troublesome._

If he had headed straight to the inn, he would not have witnessed all these. He gritted his teeth and tugged away his hairband. Then he stood up and walked wobbly towards the man. He slurred like a drunk, "Hey, you! Who do you think you are, old man? Snatching up a fine girl like that! Get lost already!"

A few men stood up and blocked his path.

_Shit._ Shikamaru muttered a curse under his breath. He hadn't taken in the factor that he had to deal with his underlings first.

"It is you who need to fuck off, asshole."

One of the underlings grabbed the collar of the Leaf nin's vest. Shikamaru braced himself as a fist swiftly hit his cheek as anticipated. He purposely positioned himself so that he could knock over the drugged drink before he pretended to lose his balance and fell to the floor.

"What's going on here?" a feminine voice interjected.

"Nothing, just some looser trying to find trouble."

"Let's go, shall we?" Temari's voice was sweet as saccharin as she linked her hand to the man's arm. However Shikamaru didn't miss the sharp glare that she shot at him in a flash, warning him not to pursue.

"Next time, you won't be so lucky." A thug kicked him in the stomach for good measure before they left.

Shikamaru stood up slowly, clutching his stomach.

"Man, you shouldn't have provoked Matsumoto like that. Everyone knows he is the guy who runs this town."

Shikamaru sighed in exasperation. This just proved to be too troublesome. Maybe he should just get a room and get some sleep.

* * *

There was a loud commotion outside in the middle of the night, waking the Leaf nin up. Shikamaru peered from the window and saw thick smoke rising from the edge of town. Someone shouted "Fire!" in the streets. Whatever sleepiness in him dissipated and he immediately switched to full alert stance.

It was time to leave, he decided.

It seemed that the fire had wake half the town up as more and more people gathered around the scene and tried to put out the fire.

He left the town silently, slipping into the darkness of the forest like a shadow. Just as he thought he was away from trouble, trouble found him. He could sense three chakra signatures ahead. Before he could consider re-route, a torrent wind cut the tree where he stood into halves, forcing him to jump away. The rumbling sound of trees crashing to the ground masked the presence of someone that appeared behind his back suddenly.

Shikamaru barely had time to substitute himself with a log before a rain of kunai hit where he stood a moment ago. It was difficult to see and navigate in the dark. He could only rely on his five senses to detect the enemy's location. He flung a kunai with explosive tag towards the tentative direction of his opponent. A few seconds later, the tag exploded and he used the explosion to hide his presence and create a bunshin to distract.

The fire quickly spread from tree to tree, illuminating the dark forest instantly. Now was the perfect time for him to use his shadow technique. A gasp signaled that his shadow was in place. His bunshin revealed himself and he was shocked to see who it was in his captive.

He released the technique promptly.

"You!" the blond kunoichi muttered heatedly.

Two more nin dropped to the forest floor behind him. Shikamaru wondered wryly how the hell he got into this mess.

"I'm an ally from Konoha village." He quickly declared before they decided to slice his throat with a kunai.

"You were the guy in the bar who nearly ruined our mission!"

"Yup, that's me." Shikamaru admitted embarrassedly. His mind began to calculate the possibility that he could come out of this unscathed. It was probably zero, he realized with dismay, considering how furious the Sand kunoichi before him was. She has already changed from the sexy red dress to her usual practical black attire, he noticed to his disappointment. If she was still wearing that killer dress, at least he would've died a content death.

"You are the biggest, insufferable idiot I've ever met! Why did you have to pull that stupid stunt of saving damsel in distress?"

Temari poked his ribs so hard she almost punctured his lung.

"I saw him spiked your drink."

"That's why back-up exist, genius!"

Ouch! Now his ego was truly bruised beyond repair.

"What should we do with him, taichou?" one of the Sand nin asked.

_Err… good question._

The grin on Temari's face was almost feral as if she had something wicked in mind.

"You two go ahead first. Leave him to me."

Both her comrades exchanged a look and nodded. They almost looked sympathetic as they spared him a glance before they disappeared into the darkness ahead. Shikamaru began to break in cold sweat.

"Erm, you do aware that it was stated in the signed peace treaty between Konoha and Suna that its shinobi are forbidden to bodily harm or kill its ally's shinobi."

"Really? I don't recall any of it."

The Sand kunoichi stepped forward. Her eyes gleamed like a predator cornering its prey. Shikamaru took a step backward consciously until his back hit a trunk.

"What do you want from me?" he asked dejectedly.

Temari licked her lower lips slowly as she eyed him with half lidded eyes.

"What do you think I want from you? You're a genius, are you not? Surely you can figure it out."

His entire body tensed when she leaned towards him. He could smell the sweet scent of perfume that she wore earlier. The hunger in her eyes made his throat went dry suddenly, making him gulped involuntarily. She was definitely too close to his comfort. He was torn between pulling her closer and pushing her away. Either way, there would be consequence to face. That much he was certain of. Shikamaru closed his eyes resignedly, accepting his defeat.

"Alright, you won."

"Not so fast, lazy bum," she smirked and added, "Since you so kindly tried to save my virtue earlier, I supposed a thank you is in order. The Suna people always pay their debts."

_Well, this is unexpected. But women are always unpredictable._

"Well, if that's the case, I think we're settled. I have yet to thank you for sending me the flu solution earlier. Consider it a repayment for that."

Temari blinked in bewilderment until realization dawned on her face.

"Oh."

She straightened her back.

Shikamaru knew a retreat when he saw one. But now that the scale was tipped to his favour, he was reluctant to let her go just yet.

"Of course, if you insist to repay me, I've no objection at all."

There was a tint of pink on her cheeks but he wasn't sure if she was blushing because she was embarrassed or because she was mad. Her temperament was so volatile that it was hard to tell.

Suddenly, there was a mischievous spark in her eyes that was hard to miss. The corner of her lip curved up as she spoke.

"I have an idea. Whoever cross the border of Earth Country first will get to ask a favour which the loser will perform. No jutsu is permitted. What do you say?"

_This proved to be interesting._ He thought.

"I accept."

"Three, two, one."

They both pumped chakra to their feet and sped ahead in full speed.

For once, Shikmaru compete with a rare eagerness.

After all, the image of Temari in the little red dress was all the motivation he needed.

* * *

TBC


	4. In Which Shikamaru Succumb

**Chapter 4 : In Which Shikamaru Succumb**

In all honesty, Temari never expected to see Shikamaru there.

But she wasn't Temari of the Sand that night. She was Maria, a whore from nowhere, the moment she walked into that tavern.

Sacrifice is an inevitable part of missions. She has long accepted it so she had no qualms when she accepted a mission that required her different set of skills and assets. If she declined the mission, some other kunoichi would accept it. If anything, she is the strongest kunoichi in Suna village.

Gaara understood it; therefore he assigned that mission to her. Kankurou protested when he found out but he eventually gave in.

That skimpy dress exposed too much flesh than she normally would. And that pair of high heels was practically killing her feet. She couldn't wait to chuck them into the nearest trash bin or better yet, chuck them towards the nearest man who had the nerve to wolf-whistle her as she passed by.

It wasn't hard to identify her target. The pale scar on his tanned face was easy enough to spot. She dropped her lipstick and deliberately bent over, allowing him to view her ample asset. It was far from subtle but it grabbed his attention nonetheless. Matsumoto was only a small-time thug leader. Her real target was to find out the master mind that controlled the drug syndicate.

Still, it would be easier if Shikamaru wasn't there, watching her seducing a man twice her age.

The urge to slap Matsumoto across the face was strong when he tried to grab her ass. Instead she slapped away his hand without causing a scene. It was a good thing that the bartender was their informant. Truth serum and a mild sedative were injected into Matsumoto's drink, causing his mind and reflex to be slightly more sluggish than a usual drunk. She excused herself to the ladies shortly after that.

"Eagle, fox took the bait. Ready to move to phase two. Do you copy that?" She adjusted her earrings and whispered.

"Roger that."

Her earrings were in fact a radio transmitter in disguise. But she still felt somewhat silly speaking to it. When she went back to the bar, she had no idea that the lazy Leaf nin would choose to butt in. _What the hell do you think you're doing? _The only thing that kept her from yelling at him was that it would risk blowing her cover and jeopardize her mission.

Fortunately, Matsumoto and his underlings suspected nothing. Phase two would involve moving to the love hotel and pick out any useful information in Matsumoto's head. The room was bugged and her teammates would be in another room listening in to their conversation and provide back-up if needed. It was a fool-proof plan.

Temari had no plan to actually strip and spread her legs for Matsumoto. So that was where genjutsu came in handy. She wasn't particularly gifted in genjutsu but she had made sure she mastered the required technique to convince the man that he was fucking the hell out of her, interrogate him and then wiped his memories. Matsumoto wouldn't remember a thing the next morning he woke up.

When she was done with him, she disposed her wig and clothes. She performed a Henge no Jutsu to disguise herself as Matsumoto.

Apparently, Matsumoto had never seen his boss's face. They usually conversed through a middle man who went by the codename Karasu. However, she had managed to find out the location of the drug processing factory.

She joined her teammates and head towards the drug processing factory. It was actually a run-down warehouse at the outskirt of town. The guards there let her in without much questions. A moment later, the warehouse erupted in fire. The wind jutsu that she performed fanned the fire until it enveloped the whole building.

Their mission was a success. The drug processing factory was burnt down. It was a direct blow to the drug syndicate and would probably disrupt their business for a month or two. Matsumoto would take all the blame. And it would buy them some time to gather more information and infiltrate the syndicate.

They were on the way back to Suna village until they met an unexpected guest in the forest.

Nara Shikamaru.

Sometimes she couldn't decide whether he was a genius or an idiot. At the moment, he inclined towards the latter. She was seriously mad at him. But she was also touched by his concern. After all, chivalry was a dying trait. The desire to rip him from limb to limb and to kiss him senseless was equally strong.

So she decided to do both.

"You two go ahead first. Leave him to me."

She didn't want any audience to spoil the fun. And she wouldn't let him get away this time. He was her prey.

Still, she was caught by surprise how he easily stall her advance with a few cleverly arranged words. And he even countered her attack. She would show him that she was a fighter and she wouldn't easily back down either.

"I have an idea. Whoever cross the border of Earth Country first will get to ask a favour which the loser will perform. No jutsu is permitted. What do you say?"

"I accept."

It was a rare occasion that the lazy Leaf nin rise to challenge.

She couldn't wait to see him defeated.

* * *

The first light of dawn shone through the clouds.

The border of Earth Country was already in sight. A small river which runs through the valley denoted the border. Whoever crossed the river first would win. Much to the Sand kunoichi's annoyance, the Leaf shinobi was ahead of her. But she still had a triumph card up her sleeve. She said no jutsu would be permitted; she never mentioned anything about weapons.

She unfolded it her fan and hopped onto it. Then she leapt from a cliff and let it glided across the river swiftly. Her feet touched the soil just as Shikamaru stepped onto the shore.

"Yes! I win!" she declared.

"No, you didn't. We both reach at the same time." he retorted.

"But I reach further from the shore than you. Therefore I win."

"You cheated!"

"No, I did not. I didn't use any jutsu."

He scratched the back of his neck and sighed, "You're a devious woman."

She smirked triumphantly. "You're just bitter that you lost."

"Whatever."

The Leaf genius looked so positively annoyed that it was almost endearing.

"Just shut up."

Temari pulled the collar of his vest and kissed him hard without warning.

Shikamaru's mind went blank instantaneously as their lips meshed. His hands stiffened in mid air awkwardly. He had never been kissed by a girl before. So he had no prior experience or what-so-ever to draw on. He could only rely on his male instinct to guide him.

Her lips were pleasantly soft and moist. He gasped in surprise when she licked his lips. Strange warmth spread in the pit of his stomach. It wasn't long before he shut his eyes and gave in to his desire. He tilted his head to deepen the kiss. His hands rest at the side of her narrow waist tentatively. To his relief, she didn't resist.

When they finally broke away from the kiss, they were both panting heavily.

Neither spoke for the longest time.

Temari glanced at the dark haired boy besides her furtively. He was taller than her now although he was younger. For once, she didn't mind that he surpassed her in something. He was staring at some indefinite point in the distance, his expression unreadable. She hoped he didn't regret kissing her because she certainly didn't regret a thing.

"Hey, I need to go now. My teammates are probably waiting for me."

He turned and looked at her as if seeing her for the first time.

"Stop staring at me like an idiot."

She rolled her eyes but there was no real anger in her chide.

"Sorry."

_Seriously, men are retards sometimes. _

She turned her heels, preparing to leave.

"Wait, about the bet…"

"I'll think about it and let you know when I'm ready."

He muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "troublesome" under his breath.

She grinned to herself. _Some things never change._

On her way to join her teammates, all Temari could think about was how she should write her mission report and whether she should include the Leaf nin in her report.

* * *

Three days later, Gaara frowned in bemusement after he finished reading his sister's mission report.

_Conclusion: Mission accomplished. Zero casualties._

_Recommendation: None except someone needs to polish up his kissing skills._

When Gaara asked Kankurou whether he knew whom Temari was referring to, the puppet master laughed so hard that his eyes filled up with tears.

Feeling more perplexed than ever, the Kazekage opted to ask Temari directly instead.

His sister merely smiled and said, "It's no one you should worry about, Gaara. I'll let you know if he improves the next time I kiss him again."

"And if he doesn't?"

"You can do whatever you like with him."

"Hn."

Meanwhile, somewhere in Konoha, Shikamaru suddenly sneezed. He wondered if someone just talked bad about him behind his back.

FIN

* * *

A/N: I have lots of fun writing this. Hope you'll enjoy reading it too. Reviews are much appreciated.


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